Europe´s best science shows were awarded at the WONDERS-Finals in Heureka, the Finnish Science Centre, on Saturday, December 9, 2007.

It was the first time that such awards were given.

There were 66 science communication activities competing for the prize at the Carousel of Science. The public could for example cycle at the speed of light, satellite track a white stork, or isolate DNA from tomatoes in the kitchen.

The public’s favourite with the PRIZE OF THE PUBLIC was a German project, the ”Blue Light”. It was like a little factory, where people could assemble their own flash light. Both adults and children were taught how to drill, counter sink, tap, punch, solder, band, assemble, rivet and adhere.

The factory was organised by Joachim Lerch from Freiburg, Germany, where each year several science events like the Science Days and the Science Café for Girls happen.

The jury’s choice with the PRIZE OF THE JURY was ”Dr. Molecula” from the Bloomfield Science Museum in Jerusalem, Israel.

”When you combine theatre and science, the result is really moving”, says Ori Weyl, alias Dr. Molecula. ”I was the worst science student myself, so I know that if I understand the things I am performing, the audience will understand it too!”

”Dr Molecula really showed, how the language barrier becomes irrelevant, when the performance is so fun and so vivid, ” says a jury member, Finnish high school student Roosa Jokiaho. The other members of the jury were Leena Pakkanen from the Finnish Broadcasting Company and Gudrun Bachmann from the University of Iceland.

The event at Heureka ended WONDERS, the First European Science Festival 2006. The purpose of WONDERS is to highlight, discuss and celebrate European science in dialogue with the public.

During the festival, numerous events have been held by the organisers , coordinated by EUSCEA, the association for European science weeks and festivals with its 60 member organisations from 30 European countries.

Partners were ECSITE, the network for European science museums and science centres and EUSJA, the European umbrella association for science journalists.

WONDERS will also happen in 2007 and following years with even more science communication events organisations.

More information on www.euscea.org and www.wonders.at about the project and the leading organisation - or directly from Peter Rebernik, telephone: +43 6991 9411241.